Nancy Dell'Olio, who made headlines after participating on the show 'Strictly Come Dancing', has for the first time spoken about her break-up with Sir Trevor Nunn.

It was the 72-year-old, who encouraged her to go on the show, but by the time it began, last September, their eight-month relationship was in its last throes.

The 50-year-old property lawyer has revealed how the director's positive influence led to her accepting the BBC's invitation after she had rejected them for years, back to the days when she was living with then England football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

"I was not early to sign. I took a lot of time. They asked me every year and I always said no. I was always in a different space, different relationship," the Daily Mail quoted her as saying.

"Sven never liked me to be in the spotlight. In the end he would not allow it - well, not allow it exactly, as I always make my own decisions, but he would not have liked it.

"It was never the right time even though I met the producers a couple of times.

"This time, when they asked me, it was different. I asked Trevor, "What do you think about me joining Strictly? I am seriously considering it."

"We were coming back from a holiday in the South of France and I was about to have my last meeting to say yes or no. He said, "Absolutely."

"If you are in the public eye, you want your partner to be supportive, to enjoy it for you. It was the right time and I was pleased he was supportive," she said.

Yet in the end, Nunn never even made it to the rehearsals.

Dell'Olio now admits that theirs was a volatile relationship.

"We had quite a few intense rows.

"You can't expect a genius not to be fiery. He was a strong personality, but who wants an easy personality?" she said.

However, she says, there are no regrets.

"I'm very pleased I had that chapter in my life. I do hope I gave him something, as he gave to me, but there can be a problem with people with too many bags.

"He is carrying a lot of bags in his life. I don't have any bags, any children. I'm free and can enjoy my life like never before," she added.

When Nancy and Sir Trevor's relationship was revealed last April, there was some confusion as to whether he was still with his wife, the actress Imogen Stubbs, 50. When she learned about her husband's new friendship, she declared she was heading straight to her lawyer.

Days later she admitted that she had found someone else, and days after that she and Sir Trevor were photographed on the doorstep of their West London home in their pyjamas.